2023-10-10 07:01:00
Instead of decreasing, as the United States intends, the number of migrants crossing the Darien Gap is increasing exponentially. This situation has the international community in the region concerned and proof of this is that a group of countries have their eyes on this inhospitable border crossing.
Also read: Panama asked Colombia to detail the number of migrants entering the Darién Gap
Despite the dangers that migrants face when crossing this tropical area of 266 kilometers long and 575,000 hectares in area, so far this year the number of people who crossed the Darién reached a historic peak, reaching 402,030, an increase of 38% compared to the 248,000 who crossed it in the same period of 2022.
Countries such as the United States, Panama and Mexico have put a magnifying glass on this overflow of migrants, seeking to coordinate with the government of Colombia to make a detailed record of the people who make this risky crossing, as well as to try to reduce this growing migratory flow. .
Mayor knew about the immigration crisis
One of the political leaders who recently expressed interest in this situation was Eric Adams, the mayor of New York. The Democratic president visited the municipality of Necoclí with the Colombian ambassador in Washington, Luis Gilberto Murillo, on October 7 and there he learned firsthand about the transit that migrants make to fulfill the ‘American dream’.
Adams acknowledged that this visit on the route to go to the Darién Gap (see Infographic) made him change his perception of this mass migration that is also felt in the city he governs, since it is estimated that more than 100,000 have arrived in New York. migrants in the last year and a half.
“This trip opened my eyes. “I have had the pleasure of meeting so many people dedicated to solving the international migration crisis (…) It is clearer than ever that we need all of us to work together on this at the local, regional, national and international level,” said Mayor Adams in CNN.
For his part, Ambassador Murillo highlighted that this visit was a space to advance the articulated work to face the challenges of irregular migration. “In New York we reviewed the challenges and problems of migrants in that city. We analyze the current situation and the actions being taken by the city government to address the migration crisis,” Murillo explained this Monday.
The Colombian Foreign Ministry detailed to this newspaper that this visit also had the objective of strengthening ties of understanding not only with the government of Joe Biden, but also with that of cities like New York. Added to this is the visit that Murillo made to the migrant detention centers in Texas, where he spoke with the detained Colombian population.
They make claims to Colombia
Despite the good will shown from the United States, not everything has been achieved for Colombia. For example, complaints have arisen from Panama against the management of Gustavo Petro’s government in immigration matters and particularly in the control and monitoring of migrants who cross the Darién. That call for attention was made by the Ombudsman of Panama, Eduardo Leblanc, who questioned that “there have been countless meetings between foreign ministers and directors of Immigration (…) but to date we have not had truthful, objective and continuous information , about the people who enter the Darién Gap.”
For his part, the Minister of Public Security of Panama, Juan Pino, assured in September that the country exceeded its capacity to care for migrants and given the accelerated increase in people crossing, measures were implemented such as increasing deportations of those who enter. irregularly.
Meanwhile, the ombudsmen of Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica expressed their concern and assured that the migratory phenomenon through the Darién is getting out of control, which is why they asked the United States to include in its agenda policies to address flows. of migrants.
“Migration has a country of origin, a country of transit and a receiving country, where the United States government plays a very important role in the search for solutions that allow regulating the human right to migrate,” said Carlos Camargo, the defender of the Colombian people.
This situation was addressed the previous week by Antony Blinken, head of US diplomacy, who from Mexico held a private meeting on migration with his Mexican counterpart, Alicia Bárcena, and the foreign ministers of Colombia, Álvaro Leyva, and Panama, Janaina Tewaney.
Although no further details were provided about the diplomatic meeting, it is clear that these four countries are seeking to agree on solutions to try to stop the increase in migrants crossing the Darien.
For example, the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, requested a bilateral meeting with Biden for this purpose in November. Washington is now analyzing the implementation of stricter controls to increase deportation.
The increase in migrants heading to the United States is not going well for Joe Biden’s re-election campaign, as in Congress Republicans question his management of immigration control. In this context, Biden offered refuge to 472,000 Venezuelans for 18 months so that they can obtain a residence and work permit, but it will only apply to those who arrived in the country before July 31, 2023.
Those who arrived after that date and do not have “a legal basis” to remain in the North American country will be expelled, to try to cushion the impact of the massive arrival of migrants. “Repatriations to Venezuela of Venezuelans who have no legal basis to remain in the United States will resume,” the Department of Homeland Security reported last week.
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